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BACKGROUND: Bluebird
North, at 21 years the longest-running song circle in Vancouver, is a
bi-monthly showcase that features four talented singer/songwriters of
widely varying styles, on stage together, taking turns playing their own
original songs and sharing stories with one another and the audience
about their work. The Bluebird North series has toured nationally, and
has established itself in several other Canadian cities. Vancouver
remains its longest-standing host city. www.songwriters.ca

About the performers:

The Bombadils are Canadian maritimer Luke Fraser and prairie-girl Sarah Frank, who share a love of folk songs and fiddle tunes. Drawing from the Canadian, American, and Celtic traditions, the two pour the spirit of story-telling and kitchen parties into their own writing. Luke brings guitar, mandolin and home-grown East Coast vocals in harmony with Sarah’s singing, lyrical fiddle playing and claw-hammer banjo.Luke and Sarah grew up listening to The Beatles and Beethoven on cassette tapes (often re-wound with a chewed up pen) and both trained classically at McGill University in Montreal, QC. They released their first album, “Fill Your Boots!”, in 2012 and in the years to follow, went on tour throughout Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. In 2015 they released their second album, “Grassy Roads, Wandering Feet,” and performed at folk festivals across North America. They were artists in residence at The Banff Centre in 2014, as well as Canadian participants at Ethno Sweden (2014), a folk music exchange between 90 musicians from 15 countries. www.thebombadils.com

Ben Sures is a Canadian singer, songwriter and guitar player whose songs have earned him First, Second and Honorary mentions in the John Lennon, International and USA songwriting competitions. He has twice had more than one song find its way in to the final rounds in the same year.Born in Regina and raised in Winnipeg, Ben began playing guitar in high school, and has been writing and performing since then, He has toured Canada from coast to coast, toured in the UK and performed in Beirut, Lebanon. As a guitarist he has worked wtih Rita Chiarelli, Corin Raymond, Paul Reddick, The Wyrd Sisters, Angie Nussey, Emma Cook, Tim Williams, Harpdog Brown, Pete Turland and others.Ben has opened for everyone from The Preservation Hall Band to Ray Davies of the Kinks, toured as a support act for the Arrogant Worms, and has showcased at NXNE, CMW, WCMA and The International Folk Alliance. He has been a contributor to CBC’s The Irrelevant Show, Madly Off in All Directions and The Round up with Bill Richardson.His newest album ‘Son of Trouble’ was released in the fall of 2013. www.bensures.com

Shari Ulrich - Originally a California girl, Shari's 40-year career from Pied Pumkin through The Hometown Band and on as a solo artist and multi-instrumentalist has led to 23 albums – including collaborations with Bill Henderson and Roy Forbes (UHF), Barney Bentall & Tom Taylor (BTU), and the bluegrass band The High Bar Gang. Her work has garnered two Juno Awards, an induction into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, and a 2014 Canadian Folk Music Award for English Songwriter of the Year. She has been producing the Bluebird North songwriter showcase for the SAC for over 20 years, both locally and nationally. www.shariulrich.com